tovaris
February 6th, 2016, 11:09 AM
In a Slovenian Cave, Hoping for a Batch of Baby ‘Dragons’
http://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/02/06/science/06olm5/06olm5-master675.jpg
Creatures resembling dragons dwell deep within the caves of Slovenia. And now with the help of biologists, a new brood is set to hatch at an unusual aquarium (http://www.fanrto.com/minimalist_aquarium_in_the_postojna_cave_slovenia/), accessible by underground train.
This crystal clear egg is one of three recently laid by an olm, a cave amphibian whose long sinuous body, stubby legs and frilly gills led people in the 15th century to believe it was the offspring of dragons.
Though it does not breathe fire, the olm has several attributes fitting a creature of mythology. It can live as long as a hundred years and survive without food for 10. It is blind, but hunts using its incredible sense of hearing and smell, and it can detect electric and magnetic fields.
Female olms only reproduce once every six years and it takes them until the age of 15 to become sexually mature. The aquarium, located at a tourist site known as Postojna Cave (http://www.postojnska-jama.eu/en/home/), last expected baby olms in 2013. But none of those eggs hatched and several were eaten by other olms in the tank, explained Sašo Weldt, a biologist who works there.
“It is rare and it is exciting,” Mr. Weldt said of this opportunity for a do-over. “I was jumping when I saw the first one and the second one. It’s something you don’t want to miss when working as a biologist in a cave.”
http://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/02/05/science/05olm3/05olm3-articleLarge-v2.jpg
Mr. Weldt said that this time the cave staff has taken new measures to ensure that this batch of eggs has a better chance of developing. They have emptied the tank of all other creatures but the mother olm and her eggs. The mother is about a week into a 20-day period where she will lay as many as 30 to 60 eggs. Several weeks later, they are expected to hatch.
“It’s the most iconic creature in the cave,” said Mr. Weldt. “We are hoping that in a couple of months we can state that we have baby dragons.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/science/in-a-slovenian-cave-hoping-for-a-batch-of-baby-dragons.html?_r=0
http://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/02/06/science/06olm5/06olm5-master675.jpg
Creatures resembling dragons dwell deep within the caves of Slovenia. And now with the help of biologists, a new brood is set to hatch at an unusual aquarium (http://www.fanrto.com/minimalist_aquarium_in_the_postojna_cave_slovenia/), accessible by underground train.
This crystal clear egg is one of three recently laid by an olm, a cave amphibian whose long sinuous body, stubby legs and frilly gills led people in the 15th century to believe it was the offspring of dragons.
Though it does not breathe fire, the olm has several attributes fitting a creature of mythology. It can live as long as a hundred years and survive without food for 10. It is blind, but hunts using its incredible sense of hearing and smell, and it can detect electric and magnetic fields.
Female olms only reproduce once every six years and it takes them until the age of 15 to become sexually mature. The aquarium, located at a tourist site known as Postojna Cave (http://www.postojnska-jama.eu/en/home/), last expected baby olms in 2013. But none of those eggs hatched and several were eaten by other olms in the tank, explained Sašo Weldt, a biologist who works there.
“It is rare and it is exciting,” Mr. Weldt said of this opportunity for a do-over. “I was jumping when I saw the first one and the second one. It’s something you don’t want to miss when working as a biologist in a cave.”
http://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/02/05/science/05olm3/05olm3-articleLarge-v2.jpg
Mr. Weldt said that this time the cave staff has taken new measures to ensure that this batch of eggs has a better chance of developing. They have emptied the tank of all other creatures but the mother olm and her eggs. The mother is about a week into a 20-day period where she will lay as many as 30 to 60 eggs. Several weeks later, they are expected to hatch.
“It’s the most iconic creature in the cave,” said Mr. Weldt. “We are hoping that in a couple of months we can state that we have baby dragons.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/science/in-a-slovenian-cave-hoping-for-a-batch-of-baby-dragons.html?_r=0